Safety means



s. CHUMA .SAFETY MEANS Filed D06. 9, 1939 ,h Patented Oct. 7, 1941 linviiiezo STATES I PATENT oFFl'cE azsaiss l a sanary MEANS steven chum, chicago. nl.,v assigner to western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, -N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 9, 1939, Serial No. 3085436 'I Claims.

This invention relates to safety ymeans, and `particularly to means 'for preventing objects from falling from carrier table tops while being transported. i

Heavy tools, dies, machine parts and the like are commonly transported fromv place to place by movable elevator transportation tables which are wheeled to the machine, adjusted for height, and

the tool, die yor the like manually slid on the smooth flat carrier top. The table is then carefully wheeled from the machine to prevent the tool, die or the like from falling from the-smooth A further object of the invention is to provide r new safety means in simple form foi use with an elevating transportation table already in use.

In attaining these objects, an adjustable pivoted guard is provided on the Ytable which in ing the features of this invention applied thereto.l The table includes a rectangular shaped 4table top comprising a flat steel plate Ill which has nonrotatably attached to its lower face at each cora l ner a screw II. lFor supporting the top I0 a table frame is provided comprising upper and lower v steel plates I2 and I3 rigidly secured together by steel tubes Il, one aty each corner of the table, the tubes being axially aligned with the screws II, which freely extend through aperatures (not shown) formed in the upper frame plate I2 and into the tubes I4, the screws being suitably mounted andguided for vertical movement in the tubes. Rotatably journaled upon opposite sides of the table frame are shafts I1. only one of which is shown in Fig. 1, eachsshaft carrying a pair of worm gears (not shown), which. are arranged to mesh with the screws II. shafts Il are operatively interconnected for simultaneous rotation in either direction upon rotation of either shaft@ by means ofl sprockets I8 fixed to the shafts and a chain I., one of the sprockets being shown in Fig. l. .l'lie sha .fts I'I at opposite ends of the table frame project vtherefrom yand are shaped to have an operating crank 20 connected thereto. By rotating the crank 20 in one direction the table top Il with the at-` guarding position forms a barrier aroundy the greater portion of the periphery of the table top. This guard is easily dropped fron guarding position upon actuation of spring pressed latch mechanism carried von the'bottom face of the table top and normally engaging the guard to retain it in guarding position. Tol actuate the latchI mechanism to permit the guard to drop, a chain connected to the latch mechanism is pulled whereupon the' guard drops by gravity vand against a stop member carried by the table top.. Other objects andadvantages of the invention' will be understood by referring to the following specification and accompanying which Fig. l is a side view of a movable elevator transportation table with a safety guard embodying the features of -this invention shown partly in section, the position of the guard when in an unguarding position being shown in broken out-w line;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken -on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, the usual able elevator transportation table is shown by way of illustration with a safety guard embodysimple form of movtached screws -II may be-elevated while a rotation in the opposite direction will atleet a lowering thereof.. To permit the movable elevating table to be readily moved from place to place it is supported upon casters or rollers 2| secured to the lower frame plate I3 adjacent each corner thereof.

The .table top plate I0 at one end is provided with a xed guardrail 24 formed from structural drawing, I in y angle iron of L`shaped cross-section which ex-v tends across the entire width of the plate with the horizontal arm of the angle iron rail welded or otherwise suitably secured to the bottom surface of the plate I0 and the vertical arm of the angle iron rail abutting the end edge of the plate -and extending above the upper surface thereof.

Secured, for example, by welding to the upper surface ofthe plate I0 at opposite corners thereof and abutting the vertical arm of the angle iron rail 24 and extending to the plane of the upper edge thereof are steel bearing blocks 25Vwhich extend over the side edges of the platefor a suitable distance. y

Pivoted to the bearing blocks 25 is a lU -shaped guard rail, indicated in general at 28, comprising opposite side members 21 and an interconnecting web member.V 28 formed, in the present l E instance, of lengths. of structural angle iron of The L-shaped cross-section, united by welding. The horizontal arms-of the angle iron members 21 and the'web 2l extend under the bottom surface of the plate I while the vertical arms of the `members and web freely extend upwardly above Secured to the bottom surface of the table top plate I0 intermediate the sides and at the right, end thereof, as Aviewed in Figs. l and 2, is a spring pressed latch 33. A slidable bolt 34 of the latch 33 is arranged to engage under the horizontal arm of the web 28 of the pivotal'guard rail 28 and retain the same in guarding position, as shown in the drawing in full lines. A compression spring 35 (Fig. 2) enclosed within a housing 33 of the latch 33 is operatively associated with the bolt 34 in a manner which serves to normally position the outer end thereof in latching relation under the pivotal guard rail 26. To withdraw the bolt 34 and thereby unlatch the guard rail 26 the bolt has attached to its left end (Figs.

1 and 2) a chain 39 which extends through a U-shaped member 40 attached to the bottom surface of the fixed guard rail 24 at the left end of the table top plate i0, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2the free end of the chain having a ring 4I attached thereto to facilitate the withdrawal of the bolt. Secured to the bottom surface of the table top plate I0 a one side of the chain 39 is a stop member 42 carrying a rubber bumper 44. 'I'he stop member 42 is arranged in the path of a bar 45 of structural iron having a T-shaped cross-section secured at opposite ends by welding, for example, to the bottom surfaces of the spaced horizontal armsvof the angle iron side members 21 of the pivotal guard rail 2B. -A notch 4i is formed in the bar 45 for the movement of the chain 39. To facilitate pushing or pulling the table in wheeling it about handles 41 are lattached to the iixed and pivotal guard rails 24 and 26, respectively, at opposite ends of the table.

A movable elevator table or carrier of the disclosed type equipped with the latchablelguard rail 2B embodying the features of this invention is particularly useful in transporting heavy dies or other heavy machine tools to or from punch presses or other machines in a. shop. In using the table so equipped, the table may be wheeled alongside a press, for example, and the fiat table top In elevated or lowered, as the case may be,

to the correct height for. receiving the tool from the press by rotating the crank 20 in the manner 4previously described. The tool may then be slid 'olfthe press onto the forward end of the table top. It is to be understood that previous to the sliding of the tool from the press onto the table top I0 the pivotal guard rail26 is permitted to swing .downwardly by gravity to the dotted outline position thereof, as shown in Fig. l, by a withdrawal of the spring pressed latch bolt 34 from latching relation with the guard rail by a pull on the chain 39, the bar 45 carried by the guard rail engaging the rubber bumper 44 of the stop member 42. It will be observed referring to the lowered position of. thepivotal guard rail 26,

shown in dotted outlines Fig. 1, that the stop `member 42 prevents the guard rail in swinging downwardly from its guarding position to its unguarding position from engaging the screws il, thus preventing damage thereto.- In order to permit the table top I0 to be lowered a maximum distance the upper plate 12 of the table frame is provided with an aperture 48 arranged for the passage of the stop member 42 carried by the table top IU. After the tool has been slid onto the tabletop, the pivotal guard rail 28 is swung upwardly into guarding position, the latch bolt 34 catching under the guard rail and being retained thereat by the spring 35. 'I'he pivotal guard rail 28 with the fixed guard rail 24 thus provide a retaining rail or wall extending completely around or encircling the table top. The table with the tool thereon may then be'wheeled around the shop for repairs or to storage without the liability of the tool sliding oi! the fiat table top l0.' Without the guard rails the tool would be apt to be jarred sufficiently to cause it to creep and finally slide on the fiat table top iii during wheeling of the table when the casters or rollers 2| abruptly engage obstructions or door sills on the iioor. After the table with the tool thereon is wheeled to the point in the shop where the tool is to be removed from the table the pivotal guard rail 26 is unlatched by a pull on the chain 3S and the spring pressed bolt 34 is withdrawn from its latched position with the guard rail and the latter moves by gravity to its lowered unguarding position whereupon the table top is free at its forward end for the sliding of the tool therefrom.

From the foregoing description, it will be ap- 1. In an article carrier the combination with 'i an article supporting member, of pivotal and fixed guard members jointly encircling the supporting member and projecting thereabove, means for pivoting the pivotal guard member Aon the supporting member, and a latch on the bottom surface of the supporting member latchable under the pivotal guard member to retain it in its guarding position.

2. In an article carrier the combination with an article supporting member, of pivotal and fixed guard members jointly encircling the supporting member and projecting thereabove, said fixed guard member being arranged at one side of the supporting member, means arranged adjacent opposite ends of the fixed guard member for pivoting the pivotal guard member on the' supporting member, the pivotal guard member extending around the other sides of the supporting member, and -movable means on the supporting member at the side thereof opposite the fixed guard member-for engaging that portion of the pivotal guard member opposite the iixed guard member to retain the pivotal guard member in its guarding position.

3. In an article carrier'the combination with an article supporting member, of pivotal and fixed guard members jointly encircling the supporting member and projecting thereabove,

surface of the supporting member, said latch I means for pivoting the pivotal guard member on the supporting member, a latch on the bottom surface of the supporting membensaid latch including a member latchable under the pivotal guard member to retain it in a raised guarding position, and means attached to said latch member and extended to one side of the supporting including a spring pressed member latchable under the pivotal guard member to retain4 it member for withdrawing said latch member from under the pivotal guard member to permit the latter to swing downwardly labout its pivot means by the action of gravity to an unguarding position. o

4. In an article carrier the combination with an article supporting member, of`pivotaland ilxed Vguard angle members of L-shaped crosssection jointly encircling the supporting member, v

said' fixed guard member having one anglearm thereof secured to the bottom surface of the supporting member at one side lthereof and the other angle arm of the angle member projecti.

ing above the article supporting member, said pivotal guard member being of U-shaped formation and having parallel portions and an interconnectingportion extendingV around the other sides of the supporting member, one angle arm of each of said portions'extending under the bottom surface of the supportingmember and the other angle-arm of each of said portions projecting vthereabovameans for pivoting the' piv' otal-guard member on the supporting member adjacent the xed guard member, and movable means'on the bottom surface of the supporting in a raised guarding position, means attached to said latch member and extended .to one side of the supporting member for withdrawing said spring pressed latch member from under the pivotal guard member'to permit 'the latter to f swing downwardly about its pivot means by the action of gravity to an unguarding position,

'and cooperating stop members on the supporting and pivotal guard members for limiting the downward movement of the pivotal guard member. ,v

' 6. In a movable article carrier the combination with an article supporting member. of pivotal and ilxed guard members jointly encircling the supporting member and projecting thereabove, Y

said xed guard member secured to and extend- -ing across one side, of the supporting member,

means for pivoting the pivotal guard member upon opposite sides of the supporting member adjacent the fixed guard member, and movable means on the supporting member and engageable member for engaging under the angle arm of `that portion of the pivotal guard opposite the iixed guard memberto retain the pivotalguard in its guarding position.

5. In an article'carrier the combination with anA article supporting member, of pivotal and yfixed guard members jointly encircling the supporting member and projecting thereabove. means for pivoting the pivotal guard member on the supporting member, a llatch on the .bottom with the pivotal guard member atl a side of' the supporting member opposite the nxed guard member for retaining the' pivotal guard memb er in guarding position.

7. In a movable elevating table the combinationwith an article supporting top member oi' rectangular form, a ilxed guard rail secured to one end of the top member and projecting thereabove. a U-shaped pivotal guard rail arranged outside of and extending along opposite side edges and th end edge opposite -the nxed guard rail and projecting above the top member, means for pivoting opposite portions of the pivotal guard rail on the top member at points adjacent theilxed guard rail, and movable means on the -top member vi'or engaging the pivotal guard rail for retaining it in guarding position. 

